Working together to reduce plastic waste

Vietnam is among the top 4 countries that emit the most plastic waste in the world with about 1.8 million tons/year, consuming 41.3kg of plastic waste/year/person on average, but only 27% of this is recycled. regime. Vietnam also faces the risk of becoming a global garbage dump with the amount of plastic waste increasing by 200%.

Ho Chi Minh City strives for 100% of supermarkets to use environmentally friendly plastic bags in 2021. Photo: CAO THANG Many consequences The project “Building a system to observe plastic waste in society and the environment” (COMPOSE) implemented by the French Embassy in Vietnam has shown that, out of 250,000 tons of plastic waste per year in Ho Chi Minh City, there are 48,000 tons. buried, more than 200,000 tons are recycled or discharged directly into the environment. Alarmingly, the Saigon River has the 5th largest amount of plastic waste in Vietnam and 45th in the world. The amount of plastic waste dumped into the Saigon River in March 2018 recorded 5.6 – 10.3 tons. Based on this figure, the amount of plastic waste is estimated at 7,500 – 13,000 tons/year. Every liter of water the Saigon River pours into the sea has 1,000 times more microplastics than the Seine in Paris. According to research by scientists, each broken microplastic will produce a lot of toxic substances harmful to health. At that time, people can suffer from hormone balance, neurological diseases, respiratory diseases… Microplastics less than 5mm long, when not properly collected and handled, will have a negative impact on the environment and the ocean. , underwater creatures. Microplastics are found in most of the products we use every day such as cleansers, shower gels, toothpastes and some cosmetics. Each time we wash 6kg of clothes, we also release 728,000 microplastic fibers into the environment. Researchers from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) also argue that plastic pollution is a transboundary problem, with global impacts. Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, is most vulnerable as the region bears most of the consequences of the overload and inefficiencies of the global recycling system. Plastic pollution causes negative economic impacts on the region’s industries, estimated at $1.3 billion per year. Although most national governments have announced or are in the process of establishing national regulatory measures, these measures are limited in their ability to address the broad cross-border challenge. borders of ocean plastic pollution due to lack of effective coordination among countries. The time has come for countries to consider establishing a legally binding international treaty to combat plastic pollution. The convenience and popularity of plastic products on the market, especially single-use plastic items, make consumers consume and use a large amount of plastic. Therefore, we need to come up with basic solutions to limit such as incentives for new innovative products, promotion of more sustainable or plastic-free alternatives. Create a labeling mechanism to promote better choices from consumers. It is necessary to encourage the participation of businesses in handling plastic packaging. Combine multiple solutions To join hands with the Government to realize the goal of reducing plastic waste, the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has issued a plan to strengthen the management, reuse, recycling, treatment and reduction of plastic waste. Accordingly, Ho Chi Minh City strives by the end of 2021, 100% of supermarkets and trade centers to use environmentally friendly packaging for living purposes to replace difficult-to-decompose plastic bags; Small traders at the people’s market reduce by 50% using non-biodegradable plastic packaging in product packaging. State management agencies and public non-business units must be exemplary, active, and take the lead in reducing and reusing plastic waste, not using non-degradable plastic packaging and single-use plastic products. times (bottles, jars, straws, foam boxes…) at offices, conferences, seminars. In particular, limit the use of single-use banners, slogans, etc., and switch to using electronic devices for propaganda purposes. To achieve these goals, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Le Hoa Binh directed relevant departments and units to jointly develop action plans for implementation. In particular, focus on waste control at source. Minimize and move towards not using non-biodegradable plastic packaging and single-use plastic products in all daily activities of state agencies, factories, schools and people’s daily activities. . Mobilize restaurants, hotels, tourist resorts, tourism and catering establishments, etc. to have plans to reduce plastic waste and gradually switch to using recycled and environmentally friendly products. Plastic waste generated from tourism, marine services, maritime economy, marine mineral resources, aquaculture and fishing must be collected, stored and transferred to functional units. handling. In parallel with the source control solution, HCMC also encourages the reuse and recycling of plastic waste through the development and deployment of the 3T model (Reduce – Reuse – Recycle). , encourage and create favorable conditions for organizations with functions and conditions to perform the service of collecting, reusing and recycling plastic loads in the city. Ho Chi Minh City will also strengthen the inspection of environmental violations such as indiscriminate dumping of waste and plastic waste in public places. Inspect and handle violations of environmental protection tax, value-added tax, corporate income tax, etc. in import, production and distribution activities, and trading in non-degradable plastic packaging and plastic products. disposable; encourage recycled products, environmentally friendly products.